DOES PRENATAL STRESS IMPAIR COPING AND REGULATION OF HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS

Prenatally stressed (PS) human infants and experimental animals show a ttentional deficits, hyperanxiety and disturbed social behavior. Impai red coping in stressful situations in adult PS monkeys and rodents is associated with dysregulation of the HPA axis, characterized by decrea sed feedback inhibition of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and p rolonged elevation of plasma glucocorticoids in response to stress. PS rats have higher levels of CRH in the amygdala, fewer hippocampal glu cocorticoid receptors and less endogenous opioid and GABA/BDZ (benzodi azepine) inhibitory activity. The mechanisms by which maternal stress hormones induce these long-lasting changes in the developing fetal neu roaxis remain to be elucidated. It is suggested that impaired coping i n stressful situations and dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary -adrenal (HPA) axis, result from the action of maternal hormones relea sed during stress on the developing fetus. The similarities in coping behavior and dysregulation of the HPA axis in PS animals to those in h umans with depression, suggest that gestational stress, at a critical time during fetal development, may increase the propensity to develop this condition. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.